Written answers
Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Research and Development
Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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766. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will list the ongoing research commissioned under the remit of his Department through the North-South Ministerial Council, Shared Island Initiative or through other all-island arrangements; if he will outline the research that has been completed; the date of publication of the research since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56917/23]
Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department engages in collaborative research at an all-island level, through a broad range of partnerships and cooperation mechanisms, as set out below.
National Parks and Wildlife Services all-island collaboration
Officials in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department collaborate with colleagues in Northern Ireland on an ongoing basis on shared, all-island nature, biodiversity and ecological interests, as detailed below:
| CANN Interreg project | Conserving Peatlands and Wetlands across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland, with financial support from the INTERREG VA programme. Match-funding provided by my Department along with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, and NatureScot in Scotland. | 2002 |
|---|---|---|
| CABB Interreg project | Cooperation Across Borders for Biodiversity (CABB) brings together six environmental organisations, including; BirdWatch Ireland, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Northern Ireland, RSPB Scotland, Butterfly Conservation, Northern Ireland Water and Moors for the Future. The CABB Project is supported by the European Union’s INTERREG VA programme. Match-funding provided by my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, RSPB Scotland and Mines Restoration Ltd. Link: birdwatchireland.ie/our-work/species-habitat-conservation/countryside-wetlands/cooperation-across-borders-for-biodiversity-cabb/ | Not yet published |
| Irish Rare Breeding Birds Panel – IRBBP | Supported by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department alongside the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, BirdWatch Ireland, RSPB Northern Ireland and the UK Rare Breeding Birds Panel. IRBBP compiles records of rare breeding birds, and produces detailed conservation accounts, with the participation and input of naturalists, ornithologists and birders across the island of Ireland. Updates published in BirdWatch Ireland’s journal “Irish Birds”. Link: irbbp.org/ | 2004 – ongoing |
| Irish Curlew Task Force report | NPWS provided secretariat and contributed to this all-island advisory group consisting of a broad range of stakeholders with an interest in the management of the Curlew and its habitat, including RSPB Northern Ireland. Link: www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/general/curlew-task-force-recommendations.pdf | 2019 |
| Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland 2014 – 2019 2020 - 2026 | NPWS supports this all island initiative led by RSPB Northern Ireland and Birdwatch Ireland to review status of birds in Ireland and assign to Red, Amber or Green list of conservation concern. Links: birdwatchireland.ie/app/uploads/2019/09/BOCCI.pdf birdwatchireland.ie/app/uploads/2021/04/Irish-Birds-2021-BOCCI-for-web.pdf | 2020 |
| A census of breeding seabirds in Britain and Ireland (2015–2021) | Fourth census of Britain and Ireland’s internationally important populations of breeding seabirds. NPWS participates in the Seabirds Count Steering Group with stakeholders across these islands including Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Ireland), BirdWatch Ireland and The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Link: www.lynxeds.com/product/seabirds-count/ | 2023 |
| Curlew Captive breeding and head-starting programme | Established in 2017 to pioneer Curlew conservation efforts in Ireland, funded and co-ordinated by NPWS and the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine. Runs on an all-Ireland basis with cooperation of RSPB Northern Ireland. Link: www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/files/curlew-conservation-programme-annual-report-2023.pdf | 2023 |
| DragonflyIreland | Research funded by NPWS with Ulster Museum (National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland) and The Heritage Council Nelson, B., Thompson, R. and McFerran, D. 2001 Guide to the Dragonflies of Ireland. MAGNI Publication No 005. NMGNI, Belfast Nelson, B. and Thompson, R. 2004. The Natural History of Ireland’s Dragonflies. MAGNI Publication No 013. NMGNI, Belfast Link: www.researchgate.net/profile/Brian_Nelson7/publication/299424544_The_Natural_History_of_Ireland's_Dragonflies/links/58e3ab7d0f7e9b7c2eb5f64c/The-Natural-History-of-Irelands-Dragonflies.pdf | 2000-2004 |
| All Ireland Species Action Plans | Published jointly by NPWS and Environment and Heritage Service, Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland. Covering species of high conservation concern, including Corncrake, Pollan, Irish Hare Link: www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/2005_Group_SAP.pdf | 2005 |
| OrchidIreland | Database of orchid records held by CEDaR (Centre for Environmental Data and Recording, National Museums Northern Ireland) and NPWS. Curtis, T. and Thompson, R. (2009) The Orchids of Ireland. National Museums Northern Ireland, Holywood. Curtis, T. and Wilson, F. (2014) Orchid Ireland Survey 2014. Final Report. Links: www.nationalmuseumsni.org/cedar www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/data-request-form.docx www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/general/1402_ORCH14_01.zip | 2003 – 2014 |
| LichenIreland | Database of lichen records held by CEDaR (Centre for Environmental Data and Recording, National Museums Northern Ireland) and NPWS. Seaward, M.R.D. (2010). Census Catalogue of Irish Lichens (3rd Edition). National Museums Northern Ireland, Holywood. Links: www.habitas.org.uk/lichenireland/ www.nationalmuseumsni.org/cedar www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/data-request-form.docx | 2006 – 2015 |
| Centre for Irish Bat Research 2008-2011 | Established in 2008. A cross-border initiative established in 2008 and funded by NPWS, co-located in University College Dublin and Queen's University Belfast. Research funded includes 2 x PhDs, 1 x Masters and numerous scientific publications. | 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 |
| Distribution and status of Nathusius pipistrelle in Ireland (2016). | Report commissioned by NPWS Link: www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/Nathusius%20Ireland%20-%20Final%20report_2016.pdf | 2016 |
| All-Ireland Mammal Atlas 2010-2015 | Lysaght, L. and Marnell, F. (Eds) (2016) Atlas of Mammals in Ireland 2010-2015, National Biodiversity Data Centre, Waterford. NPWS part-funded this all-island atlas and alongside Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Centre for Environmental Data and Recording (CEDaR), the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Bat Conservation Ireland, Northern Ireland Bat Group, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Northern Ireland, contributed datasets. Link: biodiversityireland.ie/app/uploads/2021/11/Mammal_Atlas_web.pdf | 2016 |
| All-Ireland squirrel and pine marten survey, 2019; final report 2020 | NPWS commissioned and published research by Ulster Wildlife and NUI Galway. Lawton C., Hanniffy, R., Molloy, V., Guilfoyle, C., Stinson, M. & Reilly, E. (2020) All-Ireland Squirrel and Pine Marten Survey 2019. Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 121. National Parks and Wildlife Service Link: www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM121.pdf | 2020 |
| Irish Scheme for Cetacean Observation and public Education - ISCOPE I and II | NPWS co-funded with Environment and Heritage Service (Northern Ireland), Heritage Council, Marine Institute. Links: iwdg.ie/cms_files/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Final_ISCOPE_I_Report.pdf iwdg.ie/iscope-ii/ | 2006, 2010 |
Further, NPWS has produced 13 All-Ireland Red Lists in the period 2009 - 2020 in collaboration with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, as listed below:
| Ireland Red List | Published | |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 – Water beetles | Foster, G. N., Nelson, B. H., & O Connor, á. | 2009 |
| No. 2 – Non-Marine Molluscs | Byrne, A., Moorkens, E.A., Anderson, R., Killeen, I.J., & Regan, E.C. | 2009 |
| No. 3: Terrestrial Mammals | Marnell, F., Kingston, N., & Looney, D. | 2009 |
| No. 4 – Butterflies | Regan, E.C., Nelson, B., Aldwell, B., Bertrand, C., Bond, K., Harding, J., Nash, D., Nixon, D., & Wilson, C.J. | 2010 |
| No. 5: Amphibians, Reptiles & Freshwater Fish | King, J.L., Marnell, F., Kingston, N., Rosell, R., Boylan, P., Caffrey, J.M., FitzPatrick, ú., Gargan, P.G., Kelly, F.L., O’Grady, M.F., Poole, R., Roche, W.K., & Cassidy, D. | 2011 |
| No.6: Damselflies & Dragonflies (Odonata) | Nelson, B., Ronayne, C., & Thompson, R. | 2011 |
| No. 7: Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) | Kelly-Quinn, M. & Regan, E.C. | 2012 |
| No. 8: Bryophytes | Lockhart, N., Hodgetts, N., & Holyoak, D. | 2012 |
| No. 9: Macro-moths (Lepidoptera) | Allen, D., O’Donnell, M., Nelson, B., Tyner, A., Bond, K.G.M., Bryant, T., Crory, A., Mellon, C., O’Boyle, J., O’Donnell, E., Rolston, T., Sheppard, R., Strickland, P., Fitzpatrick, U., & Regan, E. | 2016 |
| No. 10: Vascular Plants. | Wyse Jackson, M., FitzPatrick, ú., Cole, E., Jebb, M., McFerran, D., Sheehy Skeffington, M., & Wright, M. | 2016 |
| No. 11: Cartilaginous fish (sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras) | Murray, T.E., Foster, S., & Marnell, F. | 2016 |
| No. 12: Terrestrial Mammals | Marnell, F., Looney, D., & Lawton, C. | 2019 |
| No. 13: Stoneflies (Plecoptera) | Feeley, H.B., Baars, J-R., Kelly-Quinn, M., & Nelson, B. | 2020 |
Collaborative Spatial Planning - British-Irish Council
My Department is an active participant in the Collaborative Spatial Planning work sector of the British-Irish Council (BIC), the activities of which promote collaboration among the eight BIC administrations across these islands. Valuable engagement has taken place through the BIC Housing work sector to address shared policy challenges and this culminated in a joint symposium on Age Friendly approaches to Housing and Collaborative Spatial Planning, hosted in Belfast in November 2019. This symposium considered how policy professionals might address some of the key spatial planning and housing challenges in the period up to 2040. Arising from the symposium a policy guide on ‘Creating an Inclusive Future Vision for our Ageing Populations’, was developed and published following Ministerial approval in July 2022. Future focus areas include:
- contribution of spatial planning to the revitalisation of towns;
- contribution of spatial planning to ‘Build Better Places’ in the context of COVID-19 recovery;
- consideration of best practice in National/Regional Planning Frameworks; and
- promoting expert learning and experience sharing.
| State Body | Contact E-mail Address |
|---|---|
| An Bord Pleanála | oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie |
| An Fóram Uisce (the Water Forum) | info@nationalwaterforum.ie |
| Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority | oireachtasqueries@ahbregulator.ie |
| Docklands Oversight and Consultative Forum | infodocklands@dublincity.ie |
| Ervia | oireachtas@ervia.ie |
| Gas Networks Ireland | oireachtas@ervia.ie |
| Heritage Council | oireachtas@heritagecouncil.ie |
| Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency | publicreps@housingagency.ie |
| Housing Finance Agency | oireachtas.enquiries@hfa.ie |
| Land Development Agency | oireachtas@lda.ie |
| Local Government Management Agency | corporate@lgma.ie |
| Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) | oireachtas@mara.gov.ie |
| National Oversight and Audit Commission | info@noac.ie |
| National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee | ntacc@housing.gov.ie |
| Office of the Planning Regulator | oireachtas@opr.ie |
| Pyrite Resolution Board | oireachtasinfo@pyriteboard.ie |
| Residential Tenancies Board | OireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie |
| Tailte éireann | reps@tailte.ie |
| Uisce éireann | oireachtasmembers@water.ie |
| Valuation Tribunal | info@valuationtribunal.ie |
| Waterways Ireland | ceoffice@waterwaysireland.org |
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